Tag: hope

  • On Trial – For Your Life

    Englis court judge in traditional wig and robes

    I am a fan of good detective and police stories. I  enjoy a good who-dun-it television program. A good courtroom drama can be fun as well.

    I prefer the ones produced by British networks over those done in North America. Typically, the stories are better told, and there is more emphasis on the story than glitz and glamour.

    I am not alone, as these types of stories sell millions of books and comprise some of the most-watched programs on television. There are even specialty television and streaming channels dedicated to this type of programming.

    It has been disappointing of late that the newer programs in this genre have tended to rely on far too much gratuitous nudity, sex, profanity, and graphic violence to keep their share of ratings. Usually, the stories can be well-told without all the debris being thrown into the mix.

    One of the Old Testament’s twelve so-called “Minor Prophets” tells a fascinating courtroom story. The prophets are not called Minor Prophets because of the importance of their words; the term refers to the volume of their writings. These books are shorter than the so-called Major Prophets like Daniel and Isaiah.

    It’s a real life trial for your life.

    Our story is set in heaven.

    Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Zechariah 3:1-7 NIV

    The high priest Joshua stood in front of the Lord. Satan was busy accusing him. Satan does not have to lie to accuse any of us. We give him plenty of ammunition, all of our own. 

    Joshua was guilty of sin; we can tell that from his “filthy clothes.” Yet the Lord was more interested in restoring him than condemning him.

    The narrative continues with even better news.

    Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3:8-10 NIV

    The Branch to come is, of course, Jesus. He came and sacrificed so that all sin could be atoned for in a single day. I also find great encouragement in verse ten. Being able to sit under the fig tree with a neighbor is a sign of prosperity and peace, but the ability to invite that neighbor is a privilege.

    Those who have found redemption in Christ are given a wondrous opportunity. We can invite our neighbors to join us in that peace and joy. We can tell them the good news about Christ. We have been found guilty, but the penalty has been paid on our behalf. We can help that happen for others by letting them know about Him.

    Until next time, rejoice. If you know Jesus, you will come through the ultimate courtroom drama unscathed and blessed.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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  • Waiting – A Teen Runaway Reminds Me of Mary

    Old Edmonton Greyhound station
    Old Edmonton Greyhound station

    I was headed home for Christmas. In December 1975, I had been laid off from my job in Northern Alberta, along with what seemed like half the community. 

    On the spur of the moment and using most of my meager supply of cash, I hopped on a Greyhound bus. It was a seven-hour ride to Edmonton, then a several-hour layover, followed by a milk run that took another five hours or so to Fox Creek. In those days, the bus stopped at every community and often at spots in the middle of nowhere for anyone who flagged it down.

    The bus rolled into the downtown station around 1 AM. It was as dark and cold as an Alberta winter morning can be, and no businesses were open. I grabbed a cup of vending machine coffee, every bit as awful as you imagine, and sat down to wait. The place was pretty much deserted.

    A pair of drunks sat off in one corner, sharing something from a brown bag. An ancient-looking janitor was half heartedly mopping the floor. A young teenage girl sat cowering in a corner, clutching a backpack, and there was me, barely 18.

    I nursed the coffee for a long time while several buses came and went. The drunks left, and the janitor finished and left as well. Finally, out of boredom, loneliness, and desperation, I walked over and said hi to the girl.

    We chatted a bit, and I asked her where she was going. She told me that she didn’t know, but as far as $113.00 would take her. She was 14, pregnant, and had been dumped by her so-called boyfriend when she told him the news. She was terrified to go home and face her parents. She had no plan except to run away as far as possible.

    That scene has played out countless times in every corner of the globe for millennia. In this case, the story is fictionalized to a degree; I was far to shy to go over and talk to the girl at the station. She caught a bus to some unknown destination about an hour after I arrived. I did have a sense that she was running away.

    It came to mind when the pastor preached yesterday.

    In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. Luke 1:26-36 ESV

    Mary, a young virgin, was about to be pregnant. She could have faced the same rejection or worse as the girl at the bus stop that early morning many years ago.

    She didn’t hesitate. She stepped out in faith and accepted the Lord’s plan for her despite the risks.

    In our prayers this Christmas, let us remember the blessing of the incarnate Christ and Mary’s courageous faith. Let’s also remember all the frightened girls (and women) who find themselves pregnant and alone. They’re not carrying the future Messiah, but they are in need of love, comfort, and hope.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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